Here's how to forge feel-good connections

+ debt forgiveness in ancient times US Edition - Today's top story: Feeling connected enhances mental and physical health – here are 4 research-backed ways to find moments of connection with loved ones and strangers [View in browser]( US Edition | 30 July 2022 [The Conversation]( I’ve read more than enough articles about how the COVID-19 pandemic has damaged all our relationships. Ditto about how loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. I get it: Feeling socially connected is good for you, and the depressing opposite is also true. But when psychology researcher Dave Smallen contacted me with an idea for a story about how to actually foster those valuable moments of connection, I was intrigued. Instead of hammering home how isolated so many people feel, he described four kinds of interactions that help people connect. Based on social science evidence, Smallen writes, these behaviors may help you “[practice new ways to engage with others](.” I think my favorite might be just sharing a laugh. This week we also liked articles about the similarities between book bans in the U.S. and [apartheid-era South Africa](, Ukraine’s [Saint Sophia Cathedral]( and the swift loss of [carbon stored in upper Midwest forests](. Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor Connecting can mean sharing a hearty laugh. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images [Feeling connected enhances mental and physical health – here are 4 research-backed ways to find moments of connection with loved ones and strangers]( Dave Smallen, Metropolitan State University Psychology researchers know what kinds of behavior enhance feelings of social connection. The Saint Sophia Cathedra as seen from a surrounding wall tower in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 26, 2022. AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda [Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens a cultural heritage the two countries share, including Saint Sophia Cathedral]( J. Eugene Clay, Arizona State University Saint Sophia Cathedral was built under the reign of Grand Prince Yaroslav, whose father, Volodymyr, converted the region to Christianity. Books are often targeted when they are sympathetic to the oppressed. Eskay Lim / EyeEm via Getty Images [What the US can learn from apartheid-era book bans in South Africa]( Helen Kapstein, John Jay College of Criminal Justice A scholar of literature sees striking parallels between contemporary book bans in the US and those that took place in South Africa during apartheid. - [How forests lost 8,000 years of stored carbon in a few generations – animated maps reveal climate lessons for tree-planting projects today]( Jason McLachlan, University of Notre Dame The Midwest had a lot of trees, but just a few species were responsible for the bulk of the carbon storage. - [Proclaim debt amnesty throughout all the land? A biblical solution to a present-day problem]( Eva von Dassow, University of Minnesota A scholar of the ancient Near East explains how loan forgiveness was handled thousands of years ago in the Bible and royal decrees. - [Why the big fuss over Nancy Pelosi’s possible visit to Taiwan?]( Meredith Oyen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County The White House has distanced itself from the US House speaker’s potential visit to Taiwan. But does it still signal a shift in policy over diplomatic ties with the island? - [Climate change is intensifying the water cycle, bringing more powerful storms and flooding – here’s what the science shows]( - [Debunking stereotypes about mobile homes could make them a new face of affordable housing]( - [Dispirited homebuyers show why Fed’s unprecedented fight against inflation is beginning to succeed]( - [Overturning Roe is not making laws reflect what people want – new survey highlights flaws in Supreme Court’s reasoning in returning abortion authority to states]( - [‘Rage giving’: Charities can get a boost from current events, such as controversial Supreme Court rulings]( - [Taking certain opioids while on commonly prescribed antidepressants may increase the risk of overdose]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](